I recently finished a 1.09 GC with Venice. This was my first game under the new rules with heavy trade efficieny penalties for any trade agreements or embargoes. (Prior to this I had been playing a 1.07 beta with only a 1% penalty for each TA, so it was reasonable strategy to make TAs, if desired, with several owners of COTs, and I usually did this).
Because of the penalties, during the first half of the game I did not attempt to get a TA with anyone, though I agreed to requests made by France and Netherlands, and I declined requests from Austria and Sweden. Also I never embargoed anyone.
During the second half of the game I was more concerned about TAs as by then the more prominent AI nations began to get the ability to embargo. I know this can be used as a free CB generator, but my usual practice for RP reasons is to be honorable and give the COT nation a chance at a TA before they embargo me. If they refuse the TA and issue an embargo, I can go to war with a clean conscience.
If they accept the TA then my position in the COT is secure.
With the earlier 1.07 beta version, in practice it was not difficult to get TAs with almost any AI nation I wanted. Some, such as England or France, might take several offers before they accepted. Spain was notoriously stubborn. Other than these, it really wasn't a problem.
On the other hand, in the Venice game with 1.09 I was unable to get even one AI nation to make a TA with me. I made literally dozens of offers each to Spain, Portugal, England, Sweden, Austria, Russia, and the Ottomans, failing every single time. And, just to be sure there is no misunderstanding, my Venice was not a minor nation bringing nothing to the negotiating table. I owned variously 6-9 COTs, including the very popular ones at Venice and Liguria, and my Venice was by far the most advanced trading nation in the world.
While I was puzzled by the consistent AI refusal to make a TA, I do admit that the AI strategy for trade embargoes seemed on the whole to be sensible. While at war I was usually embargoed by any opponent who was able to do so. Conversely, if I fought a war to lift an embargo, once decisively beaten the AI nations such as Portugal and Russia appeared to be very reluctant to issue another embargo (even after the truce period, of course).
Because of the penalties, during the first half of the game I did not attempt to get a TA with anyone, though I agreed to requests made by France and Netherlands, and I declined requests from Austria and Sweden. Also I never embargoed anyone.
During the second half of the game I was more concerned about TAs as by then the more prominent AI nations began to get the ability to embargo. I know this can be used as a free CB generator, but my usual practice for RP reasons is to be honorable and give the COT nation a chance at a TA before they embargo me. If they refuse the TA and issue an embargo, I can go to war with a clean conscience.
If they accept the TA then my position in the COT is secure.With the earlier 1.07 beta version, in practice it was not difficult to get TAs with almost any AI nation I wanted. Some, such as England or France, might take several offers before they accepted. Spain was notoriously stubborn. Other than these, it really wasn't a problem.
On the other hand, in the Venice game with 1.09 I was unable to get even one AI nation to make a TA with me. I made literally dozens of offers each to Spain, Portugal, England, Sweden, Austria, Russia, and the Ottomans, failing every single time. And, just to be sure there is no misunderstanding, my Venice was not a minor nation bringing nothing to the negotiating table. I owned variously 6-9 COTs, including the very popular ones at Venice and Liguria, and my Venice was by far the most advanced trading nation in the world.
While I was puzzled by the consistent AI refusal to make a TA, I do admit that the AI strategy for trade embargoes seemed on the whole to be sensible. While at war I was usually embargoed by any opponent who was able to do so. Conversely, if I fought a war to lift an embargo, once decisively beaten the AI nations such as Portugal and Russia appeared to be very reluctant to issue another embargo (even after the truce period, of course).
